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After reading the press release and some of the other materials it is quite obvious someone at the NHL got caught up in the excitement of college football and wanted to steal that for hockey. Basically "hey this is cool, let's do this with hockey!" It's not too different from what we saw today at Notre Dame or even at Wrigley Field. But they're going all in on the old school Texas college football thing, which is less connected to hockey simply because of the market.

It might work.

Who do we think for the opponent - Minnesota, Detroit, someone else? Colorado is hosting the Stadium Series game so they're out. I'd be surprised if it's St Louis, who is hosting the ASG. Some are speculating Nashville, which is really going all in on the southern markets thing.

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Shapiro: Why were the Stars on the NHL’s radar for an event like this?

Bettman: We love the fact that the Dallas Stars are doing so well in the community and that the fan base is growing, and we love Tom Gaglardi’s commitment to the team and the city. And we’ve been in discussion with them about events for at least a couple of years. And as another step in visiting iconic facilities, the Cotton Bowl is a logical locale for us to host the game.

This is the NHL’s marquee game in a market with unpredictable weather at times. Does that concern you at all when taking the Winter Classic to Texas?

Other than rain and sun, we can deal with almost anything else. If this game were scheduled for yesterday (at Notre Dame) we would have been in trouble here, because it poured like crazy all day. So we’ve looked at the weather forecasts, and we’re comfortable that we can create a competitive situation for our teams that are reflective of the fact this is a game that counts in the standings.

Shapiro: Does this signal a new era of Winter Classics as far as locale and teams?

Bettman: We’ve constantly tried to focus on unique and special situations, and that speaks to the markets or to iconic venues. In Dallas, we have the benefit of accomplishing both. We are going to a — quote, newer, but it’s really not so new, market — and we’re are going to an iconic venue. We’re putting the Cotton Bowl back in play on New Year’s Day.

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Should have had the Sharks host in Tahoe if they wanted unique and special.

I know this is rich coming from me as the Blackhawks are having a second terrible season, but is it wise to feature a team as irrelevant as the Stars have become? Now that they can't have the best team money can buy like they did before the second lockout, there's not much interest in The Benn, Seguin, And Some Other Crap Show, at least outside of I-know-something-you-don't-know online nerds and the McMansion Hell of Dallas-Fort Worth. And unlike the Blackhawks getting the Wrigley game just as they were clearly turning the corner into something big, the Stars have been running in place for years now, declaring that THIS is going to be the offseason where everything is about to change, and then finishing 9th again anyway.

Having a game outside at the Air Force Academy sounds like it would be cool and the Avs are actually putting something together. I'd give them the New Year's game and just have one fewer outdoor game.

Should have had the Sharks host in Tahoe if they wanted unique and special.

I can’t even imagine where the hell they could do something like this. Squaw, I guess, but uggh how boring. South Shore seems like the craziest idea possible but it also sounds like the only spot that could handle that kind of influx.

:censored: it, I’ll host it. Gimme some temporary bleachers and that bitch is going on in the empty lot next door!

Bold strategy suggesting the NHL play an intra-squad game for the next Winter Classic.

'Tis a joke, 'tis only a joke...

I mean, the 'Peggers are now wearing throwbacks to the original Winnipeg Jets even though I can't remember any "Cleveland Deal" happening there, so that dam has already been broken as far as teams wearing uniforms that are, technically, still the property of other currently operating franchises.

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I’d love for them to play the Sharks, with the Sharks dressed up in Seals-like uniforms. Of course, the Sharks seem content to bury the Seals part of their history as much as they can, so I doubt it’ll happen.

The unmerger happened, folks. It’s time the Sharks acknowledged it. Playing their former merger partner would be perfect.

Again with the what-ifs, but it would have been cool if the Sharks and the North Stars had been able to sustain a rivalry based on the de-merge.

This pic is interesting to me because those sleeve numbers appear to be in a Machine-like font, whereas the other photos I've seen of this Seals uni have all used the same block font the Kings used during the 1970s, with the flat serif on the top of the 1.